Iraqi interpreter Malek Hadi

Allison V. Smith / For The Times

Iraqi interpreter Malek Hadi lost his leg in a 2006 blast while assisting the U.S. military police. He now lives in Arlington, Texas, on $612 in monthly disability payments. "When we were in Iraq, we were exactly like the soldiers," Hadi said. "Why are we treated differently now?"

Iraqi interpreter Malek Hadi lost his leg in a 2006 blast while assisting the U.S. military police. He now lives in Arlington, Texas, on $612 in monthly disability payments. "When we were in Iraq, we were exactly like the soldiers," Hadi said. "Why are we treated differently now?" (Allison V. Smith / For The Times)

Iraqi interpreter Malek Hadi lost his leg in a 2006 blast while assisting the U.S. military police. He now lives in Arlington, Texas, on $612 in monthly disability payments. "When we were in Iraq, we were exactly like the soldiers," Hadi said. "Why are we treated differently now?"